Freight container



.March l0,` 1936. R. ELLIS yFREIGHT CNTAINER l2 Sheets-Sheet 1 OriginalFiled Dec. 9, 1933 INVENTOR March l0, 1936. R, ELUS 2,033,l9

FREIGHT CONTAINER n Original Filed Dec. 9, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREIGHT CONTAINERRidsdale Ellis,

New York, N. Y.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to freight containers provided with wheels sothat they can be readily moved when desired. This application is adivision of my application Serial No. 701,614,

filed December 9, 1933.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a wheeledcontainer kwhich may be moved on its Wheels with a minimum of effort andwhich may be turned readily and in a very small radius.

Freight containers must be compact and have a high ratio of goodsreceiving space with respect to the total space occupied by thecontainer' as a whole. Further, it is desirable that the wheels arewithin the outer margins of the container as a whole to avoid possibleinjury to the wheels. Where cranes are available they will ordinarily beused to move containers even though -the latter are provided withwheels, and when cranes are used the container may be swung againstother containers or objects.

The radius within which a wheeled object can turn depends on thearrangement and number of the wheels. If two pairs of Wheels are used,only one of which can be swung, as in the case of an ordinaryautomobile, the turning radius is considerable. 'Ihis turning radius maybe reduced by arranging so that both pairs of wheels may be swungsimultaneously and in .opposite direc'- tions, as in the case of thewell-known hook-andladder fire truck. In that case the only limitationto the extent to which the radius of turning may be reduced is theextent to which the wheels may swing, since, if the wheels are swung 90,the object will turn about its center and have a zero radius of turning.A zero radius of turning may also be obtained with .only two wheelscentrally arranged, like a Chinese wheel-barrow. In the latter case thewheels do not have to swing.

The ease with which a wheeled object can be moved over a fairly soft oruneven surface is largely a question of wheel diameter, the larger thewheel the easier it is to move the object. However, the larger thewheel, the more room it requires to swing. Hence, where, as in the case`of containers economy of space is essential, the fixed two-wheelarrangement is preferable to the four-wheel swinging wheel arrangement.

With only two wheels the support is unstable. This objection can beovercome without materially increasing the effort required to push theobject by the use of auxiliary wheels near each end .of the objectarranged so that under normal circumstances they carry only theunbalanced portion of the load. If the container loaded weighs 10,000lbs. and the loading is uneven so that there is an unbalanced load of1000 lbs. at one end, the central wheels carry 9000 lbs. and theauxiliary wheel or Wheels at the heavier end of the container carry 1000lbs. 5

If the auxiliary wheels are fixed so that they cannot swing to turn thecontainer the auxiliary Wheel or wheels at the heavy end of thecontainer have to be dragged laterally across the container supportingsurface under a pressure of 1000 lbs. 10 Preferably, therefore, theauxiliary wheels are arranged to swing either through a limited aro orbetter still through 360, as in the case of ordinary castor wheels. Asthese auxiliary wheels take only a very minor part of the load they maybe made of small size so that the room space required to permit them toswing can be made correspondingly small.

If both the main and auxiliary wheels are fixed so that they areincapable of relative vertical 204 movement other difficulties mayarise. If the bottoms of all the wheels are in the same plane, then assoon as one or other of the auxiliary wheels strikes a high spot in thesupporting surface the load is taken 01T the main wheels and 25 iscarried wholly by the auxiliary wheels. This means that the advantage ofthe size of the main wheels is wholly lost, at the time when it is mostneeded. However, if the bottoms of the main Wheels are below the bottomsof the auxiliary wheels, the container can teeter about its main wheelsto permit the auxiliary wheel or wheels to ride over high spots. Anotherway of overcoming the transfer of the main part of the load from themain wheels to the auxiliary wheels is to mount the latter on springs tothat, while the main and auxiliary Wheels all contact simultaneouslywith the supporting surface, the auxiliary wheels can move upwardlyagainst the pressure of their springs to ride over high spots.

Ordinary castor wheels cannot be readily reversed without lateralmovement of the object they support at least equal to the eccentricityof the castor mounting. In a freight container such lateral movement maybe highly disadvantageous if not dangerous. For example, if thecontainer is run lengthwise onto a truck platform the castors are bythis movement turned towards the rear of the platform. When thecontainer is pushed or pulled olf the platform the castors have to turntowards the front of the platform and, if this turning movement resultsin a lateral movement of the container, the latter may easily run offone side of the platform. It is desirable, therefore, that the castorsbe of a straight tracking type so that they will reverse their positionwithout producing objectionable lateral movement of the container.

Another object of the invention is to avoid the disadvantage of doors inone or both ends of the container, which heretofore have been standardconstruction. Doors render the containers liable to pilferage andnumerous devices have been invented to prevent the doors being opened solong as the container is on its railroad truck. These door-lockingdevices all depend on the fact that the containers to which they wereapplied could only be moved by a crane and are not adapted to containersconstructed so that they can be moved on their own wheels on and off afiat car. Another disadvantage of .doors is that without special andhence expensive construction they are apt to let water enter in badweather. Containers with doors are also not well adapted fortransferring material in bulk, such as wheat,

.and one of the obstacles to the practical use of containers is thatthey are usually returned empty on hauls where manufactured goods areshipped out and Wheat or the like is shipped back. For these and otherreasons, the present container is constructed Without doors and accessto the interior is obtained by removing the roof or top either wholly orin part, as a unit'or in sections.

While the weight of the roof is usually sufficient to prevent pilferage,it is far less than the weight of the container as a whole and hence itsremoval does not involve the necessity of heavy cranes or the like.

' One suitable form of construction is illustrated by way of example, inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the container with the outer side wall removedand parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

'I'he container comprises a top I Il', outer end walls II, outersidewalls I2 and a bottom I3. Within the walls of the container is a framecomprising unitary rectangular end frames I5 of angular cross-section,as shown in Fig. 3, and bottom side frames I 6, also of angularcrosssection, as shown in Fig. 2, united to the end frames by steelcastings I1. Inner end walls 26 and inner side walls 2| are provided forpurposes which will be explained later. A frame I8 of inverted channelcross section extends around the top of the container and closes thespace between the inner and outer end and side Walls as well as stieningthe container as a whole.

In the spaces between the inner and outer side Walls are arrangedcentrally disposed wheels 22 of large diameter. These wheels aresuitably mounted on fixed bearings carried by the side walls. In thesame spaces near each end of the container is a pair of castor wheels23. These wheels enable the container to be moved around readily. When,however, it is desired to anchor the container on a flat car or othersupport for the container, the container is lifted off its wheels.

For this purpose means are provided for moving a portion of the base ofthe container downwardly and upwardly with respect to the housing, froma position above to a position below the bottom of the Wheels, to liftthe wheels out of contact with the container supporting surface andprevent further rolling movement of the container. As

shown, the movable part of the base of the container comprises a T-bar25 extending across each end of the container. These T-bars may beraised and lowered in a variety of ways.

One of the most convenient methods is by means of pairs of toggles 26and 21. The upper arm or link of each toggle is connected by a bracket36 to the adjacent end frame I5. The bottoms of the lower arm or link ofeach toggle is connected to a plunger 3| slidably mounted in A one ofthe corner castings I1. The lower ends of these plungers are pivotallyconnected to the upstanding flanges of the T-bars by pins 32. Thetoggles are operated by shafts having right hand threads at one end andleft hand threads at the other. These threaded portions of the shafts 35engage nuts 36 and 31 connected to the adjacent ends of the toggle links26 and 21 respectively. Rotation of the shaft produces movement of thelinks 26 and 21 in opposite directions so that there is a minimum oftendency for the shaft to move axially as a whole. Should the containerbe loaded unevenly so that one end is heavier than the other the thrustson the shafts will be unbalanced as the container is lifted off itsWheels.

There will also be unbalanced thrusts whenever one T-bar lifts its endof the container before the other. These unbalanced thrusts are taken byVplates held in position by pins 4I. As the toggles straighten out theshaft 35 drops and to allow for this movement the outer end walls II andend frames I5 are slotted at 42.

The projecting ends of the shafts 35 are squared for the application ofa handle or wrench thereto.

It will be noted that the two shafts 35 on the two sides of thecontainer are not connected for simultaneous operation, so that rst oneend of each pair of T-bars are depressed and then the other. The pivotalconnection between the T-bars and plungers 3l permits this method ofdepressing the .L

T-bars.

'Ihe castings I1 in which the plungers 3I slide are formed with two sidewings or gusset plates 45 and 46 integrally connected at the bottom bythe part 41. The bottom side frames I6 are l' of a shaft 5I rotatablymounted on the adjacent side frame I6 by a bracket 53. At the top of theshaft 5I is mounted an arm 55 carrying a wheel 56 of the same diameteras the distance between L the plates 45 and 46. This Wheel is arrangedso that its center is directly over the point of contact with the groundof the mid-point of the castor wheel 23. As the result of thisconstruction whenever the castor wheel turns, i. e., changes its planeof rotation with respect to the container, the point of` contact of thecenter of the castor wheel with the ground moves along a line parallelto the side of the container instead of in a circular path with respectto the latter. As the castor wheel starts to move outwardly with respectto the side of the container the wheel 56 starts to pull the shaft 5Iinwardly to the same extent and vice versa. Hence in spite of its castorWheels the container will track straight and the castors in reversingwill not throw the ends of the container laterally.

As the primary function of the castor wheels is to balance the containeron its supporting wheels 22 and prevent teetering, the springs 50 Eachof these Wheels is carried by a .,-i vpair of curved springs 56 securedto the lower end g and replaced on the container.

Lal

are light. To prevent these springs being overloaded, if not broken, andalso to relieve the arms 52 of undue strain should the castor wheels forany reason have to take the full load of the container, U-shaped stops51 are provided. These stops are welded to the castor wheel journals andcontact with the under surface of the part 41 Whenever the springs 5Bare compressed to a predetermined extent.

The inner side walls 2l are provided to keep the goods carried by thecontainer out of contact with the wheels 22, toggle arms 26, 21 andshaft 35 and other parts.

The inner end walls are provided to give an unbroken inner wallextending from the bottom of the container, which is below the top ofthe T-bars when elevated, to the top of the side walls, which are abovethe inwardly projecting flanges of the end frames.

If it is desired to use the containers for perishable goods the innerwalls may be made of plywood or other material of low heat conductivityas compared with metal. In addition, cork or other insulation may beinserted between the inner and outer end walls and between such parts ofthe inner and outer side walls as are not occupied by the togglemechanism, wheels 22 and other parts. Insulation may also be provided onthe oor and underside of the roof.

No doors are provided in the ends of the container and hence the roof ortop l5 is detachable so that access may be obtained to the interior ofthe container. A ring 55 is provided in the middle of the top I0 toallow it to be lifted 01T Rings 60 are provided on the sides of thecontainer to allow it to be lifted as a unit when desired.

I claim:

l. A freight container comprising bottom, end and side walls defining agoods receiving space, the lower part of the side walls throughoutsubstantially their entire length being spaced inwardly from the outermargin of the container at the bottom thereof, non-swingableload-supporting wheels of relatively large diameter arranged in thespaces between said side walls and said outer margins of the containersubstantially midway between the ends of the container, and castorwheels of relatively small diameter on either side of the first wheelsarranged to turn within said spaces.

2. A freight container comprising bottom, end and side walls defining agoods receiving space, the lower part of the side walls being spacedinwardly from the outer margin of the container at the bottom thereof,non-swingable load-suppQrting wheels of relatively large diameterarranged in the spaces between said side walls and said outer margins ofthe container substantially midway between the ends of the container,and spring mounted castor wheels of relatively small diameter on eitherside of the rst wheels and within the outer margins of the container.

3. A freight container comprising bottom, end, and side walls defining agoods receiving space, the lower part of the side walls throughoutsubstantially their entire length being spaced inwardly from the outermargin of the container at the bottom thereof, non-swingableload-supporting wheels of relatively large diameter arranged in thespaces between said side walls and said outer margins of the container,substantially midway between the ends of the container, and straighttracking castor wheels on either side of the first whe'els.

4. In a freight container comprising bottom, end and side walls defininga goods receiving space, the lower part of the side walls throughoutsubstantially their entire length being spaced inwardly from the outermargin of the container at the bottom thereof, non-swingableload-supporting wheels of relatively large diameter arranged in thespaces between said side walls and said outer margins of the containersubstantially midway between the ends of the container, andspring-mounted castor wheels also arranged in said spaces on either sideof the rst wheels.

5. A freight container comprising bottom, end and side walls defining agoods receiving space,

the lower part of the side walls throughout substantially their entirelength being spaced inwardly from the outer margin of the container atthe bottom thereof, non-swingable load-supporting wheels of relativelylarge diameter arranged in the spaces between said side walls and saidouter margins of the container, substantially mldway between the ends ofthe container and straight tracking castor wheels of relatively smalldiameter on either side of the first wheels arranged to turn within saidspaces.

6. A freight container comprising a housing having double side walls,bottom and end walls, non-swingable load-supporting wheels of relativelylarge diameter arranged substantially midway between the ends of thecontainer, and straight tracking castor wheels of relatively smalldiameter on either side of the rst wheels arranged to turn within thespaced side walls.

RIDSDALE ELLIS.

